Tour guide trampled to death by Elephant in Thailand
- 6 years ago
A hero tour guide was trampled to death by an out-of-control elephant which charged into a crowd of holidaymakers - after one of them pulled its tail.
Chinese travel boss Yongjie He, 35, had taken a party of around 30 tourists to the Golden Triangle elephant park in Chonburi, Thailand, yesterday afternoon when two women were returning from a trek sitting on top of one of the creatures. Witnesses said that ten excited Chinese tourists surged forward surrounding 17-year-old male elephant Pai Utain to try and take pictures with the elephant while their friends sat on top.
But it is claimed that while posing next to Plai’s metre-long tusks, one of group yanked the elephant's tail which caused him to go into a frenzy - flinging one of the riders to the ground while the other desperately clung on and the group ran for cover.
Yongjie, who had been in charge of the tourists, scrambled to protect the group but was then caught in the path of the spooked elephant - which knocked him to the ground and trampled him.
Several mahouts ran over to get the bull under control and help down the other girl. Police and paramedics arrived at 5.30pm but Yongjie was pronounced dead at the scene having suffered catastrophic injuries to his head and chest. Officers are now investigating the accident at the elephant park, which is used by hundreds of tourists a day taking part in one of the most popular - and controversial - activities in Thailand. Mahout Au Yungung, 37, said the elephant was brought under control and tethered to a tree but ‘’still shaking with fright''.
Chinese travel boss Yongjie He, 35, had taken a party of around 30 tourists to the Golden Triangle elephant park in Chonburi, Thailand, yesterday afternoon when two women were returning from a trek sitting on top of one of the creatures. Witnesses said that ten excited Chinese tourists surged forward surrounding 17-year-old male elephant Pai Utain to try and take pictures with the elephant while their friends sat on top.
But it is claimed that while posing next to Plai’s metre-long tusks, one of group yanked the elephant's tail which caused him to go into a frenzy - flinging one of the riders to the ground while the other desperately clung on and the group ran for cover.
Yongjie, who had been in charge of the tourists, scrambled to protect the group but was then caught in the path of the spooked elephant - which knocked him to the ground and trampled him.
Several mahouts ran over to get the bull under control and help down the other girl. Police and paramedics arrived at 5.30pm but Yongjie was pronounced dead at the scene having suffered catastrophic injuries to his head and chest. Officers are now investigating the accident at the elephant park, which is used by hundreds of tourists a day taking part in one of the most popular - and controversial - activities in Thailand. Mahout Au Yungung, 37, said the elephant was brought under control and tethered to a tree but ‘’still shaking with fright''.